Air-brake system.



I H. W. LEY. AIR BRAKE SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1908.

909,809, Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. W. LEY. AIR BRAKE SYSTEM.

APPLIoATIoN FILED AUG. 27, 190e.

909,809. l Patented Jan.12,19o9.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN W. LEY, OF BOULDER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO JESSE T.STENNER, OF MARE ISLAND, CALIFORNIA.

AIR-BRAICE SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN WV. LEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boulder, in the county of Boulder, State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Brake Systems; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXactdescription of the inventioii,such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to air brake systems and more particularly to anautomatic air brake system.

Owing to the numerous accidents and consequent damage suits, the use oftrailers on street railways, has been discontinued in many cities andwhere they are still employed, eXtra brakemen are frequently employedupon the trailers to stop the trailers if they should break away fromthe motor cars going up grade. It is however desirable and economicalfor the railway companies to run trailers and in order that this may bedone with perfect safety and without the necessity of providing foreXtra brakemen, I have devised an air brake system so constructed andarranged that should the trailer of the train break away from the motorcar while the train is going up grade, the brakes upon the trailer willbe automatically applied.

One of the novel features of the invention and one which renders itextremely desirable for use resides in the fact that it is constructedso as to operate with any of the ordinary brake systems now employed onstreet railways without in any way interfering with the ordinary manualactuation of the system.

A further feature of the invention resides in the fact that while thebrakes are automatically applied upon the trailer or trailers should thetrailer or trailers break away from the motor car, the brakes upon themotor car are left entirely under the control of the motorman orbrakeman and damage to the driving gear and the motors of the motor carsis in this manner obviated as the motor car may be brought gradually toa stand still. It of course does not matter if the brakes upon thetrailer are suddenly applied as the trailer very quickly loses itsforward or upward momentum and then has a tendency toward backwardmovement so that Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led August 27, 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Serial No. 450,496.

the brakes in reality merely arrest this backward movement and areapplied practically at the same time the trailer stops of its own accordbefore starting backwards down grade.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the air brakesystem embodied in my invention, Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof`showing the parts in normal position, Fig. 3 is a similar view butshowing the initial actuation of the system, and, Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2 but showing the system as nally actuated to apply thebrakes.

In the drawings, the motor car is indicated in general by the referencecharacter A and the trailer by the reference character B the two carsbeing coupled by the usual form of coupling C. The brake cylinder uponthe motor car is indicated by the numeral 10 and the brake cylinder uponthe trailer by the numeral 11 the train pipe upon the motor car beingindicated by the numeral 12 and the one upon the trailerby the numeral13 they being led to the respective brake cylinders 10 and 11.

The reservoir pipe is of course carried by the motor car A and this pipeis indicated by the numeral 14 and includes the usual vertical extension15 which leads to the engineer valve 16 as does also the train pipe 12it being understood of course that this valve is to be manipulated as isthe ordinary manner to admit air under pressure from the reservoir pipe14 to the train pipe 12 and the brake cylinder 10 and also by way of theusual coupling hose 17, which hose connects the two train pipes 12 and13 between the cars, to the said pipes 13 and the respective brakecylinder 11. The usual form of coupling 18 is provided for the meetingends of the two sections of coupling hose and the usual angle cocks 19and 20 are interposed in the train plates 12 and 13 respectively theybeing normally opened. The system as described so far is that ordinarilyemployed upon street railway cars and it isin connection with this formof air brake system that the device embodied in my invention is to beused and I will now describe that portion of the system to which myinvention relates.

Mounted upon each of the cars A and B is a pulley 21 and passed overthese pulleys and connected at its ends with the handles of the anglecocks 19 and 20 is a cable or other flexible connection 22. The functionof this construction Will be presently described in connection with the'description of the operation of the system.

A branch 23 leads from the reservoir pipe 14 and a branch 24 leads fromthe train pipe 13 and connecting these tWo branches 23 and 24 is a hoseconnection 25 which is identical in construction with the connection 17Vheretofore mentioned and which of course establishes communicationbetween the reservoir pipe and the train pipe 13 under conditions vvhichwill be presently explained. A valve 26 is interposed in the branch 23and an angle cock 27 is interposed in the branch 24 the angle cock 27being normally left open1 A cable or other flexible connection 28 isconnected at one end to the handle of the valve 26 and at its other endis secured as at 29 to some convenient point upon the trailer B and aspring 30 is also connected VWith the handle of the valve 26 yand withthe motor car A the tendency of the spring being normally to hold thevalve in closed position. For a purpose which will be presentlyexplained, a Vcheck valve 31 is interposed in the branch 24 of the trainpipe 13 upon the trailer. Y

The operation of the system Will now be fully described, but prior tothis description it will be Well to state that the connection 22has lessslack than the connection 28 and the hose connection 17 has less slackthan the hose connection 25. jIt will be supposed that the coupling Cbreaks or becomes uncoupled in some manner due to accident or todefective parts and that the trailer B leaves the motor car A. Theinitial movement of the trailer in this directionrwill act to pull uponthe connection 22 and such pull upon the connection will result in thehandles of the angle cocks 19 and 20 being simultaneously swung toclosed position so that when the hose coupling 17 becomes severed due tostrain placed upon it, as Will be presently described, air cannot escapeby to the separation of the hose coupling 17,Y

the connections 28 will be placed at a tension and the valve 26 Willbe'opened thereby allowing a sudden rush'of air under pressure from thereservoirpipe 23 by Way of the hose couplings 25 to the branch 24 ot thetrain pipe 13 and through the train pipe 18 to the brake cylinder 11upon the trailer B.

The air under pressure rushing through the branch 24 into the train pipe13 upon the trailer will of course pass the valve 3l but this valve willprevent any back rush of air as will be readily understood. 4Finally.the hose connections 17 and 25 will become severed dueto the straineventually put upon them and as the connection 28 has y already beensevered, the spring 30 Will pull y Y maintained in the reservoir pipe 14and yis Y at the control of the engineer by the manipulation of thevalve 16 Which controls the admission of the air from this reservoirpipe into the train pipe 12 of the motor car the engineer or motormanbeing in this manner permitted to bringy the motor car to a standstillatrvvhatever time he deems it most advisable.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

l. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination, a reservoirpipe carried by one car, a train pipe carried by the other car, andmeans arranged upon abnormal tendency toward separation of theV cars toautomatically admit air under pressure from the reservoir pipe into thetrain pipe.

2. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination; a reservoirpipe carried by one car, a train pipe carried by the other car, andconnection between said pipes arranged upon abnormal tendency totvardseparation of the cars to automatically admit air under pressure fromthe reservoir pipe into the train pipe. j y

3. In an air brake system yfor coupled cars,

in combination, a reservoir pipe carried by one car, a train pipeVcarried by the other car, and a connection between Vsaid pipes'arrangedfor actuation by abnormal tendency toward separation Vof the. cars toYautomatically admit air u"der pressure from the reservoir pipe into thetrain pipe.

4. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination, a reservoirpipe carried by one car, a train pipecarried by the other car, and meansactuated through abnormal tendency tovvardY separation of the cars toautomatically admit air under pressure from the reservoir pipetothetrain pipe.

' 5. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination, areservoir'pipe carried by one car, a train pipe carried by the othercar, a pipe connection bettveen'said pipes, and a valve interposed insaid pipe connec-Y tion and arranged for actuation upony abnormaltendency totvard separation of the cars to automatically admit air underpressure from the reservoir pipe into the train pipe.

6. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination, a reservoirpipe carried by one car,` a train pipe carried by the other car, a pipeconnection between said pipes, a valve interposed in the saidpipeconnection, and means connected with the valve and arranged uponabnormal tendency toWard sepsoy aration of the cars to automaticallyopen said valve and admit air under pressure from the reservoir pipeinto the train pipe.

7. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination, a reservoirpipe carried by one car, a train pipe carried by the other car, a pipeconnection between the two pipes, a valve interposed in said pipeconnection, means arranged for actuation upon abnormal tendency towardseparation of the cars to automatically open said Valve and admit airunder pressure from the reservoir pipe into the train pipe, and meansfor automatically closing said valve after it has been opened.

8. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination, a reservoirpipe carried by one car, a train pipe carried by the other car, and aconnection between said pipes arranged for actuation through abnormaltendency toward separation of the cars to automatically admit air underpressure from the reservoir to the train pipe.

9. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination, a reservoirpipe carried by one car, atrain pipe carried by the other car, andconnection between said pipes arranged upon abnormal tendency towardseparation ot' the cars to automatically admit air under pressure fromthe reservoir pipe to the train pipe, said connection being constructedand arranged to automatically close the outlet from the reservoir pipeafter actuation to admit air into the train pipe.

l0. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination with areservoir pipe carried by one car, and coupled train pipes carried oneby each car, of a normally closed bypass connection between thereservoir pipe and the train pipe of the other car, and means forautomatically opening said by pass connection upon tendency towardabnormal separation of the cars to admit air under pressure Jfrom thereservoir pipe to the said train pipe.

l1. In an air brake system for coupled cars, in combination with areservoir pipe carried by one car, and coupled train pipes carried oneby each car, of a by pass connection between the reservoir pipe and thetrain pipe of the other car, a Valve interposed in said connection, andmeans for automatically opening said valve upon tendency toward abnormalseparation of the cars to admit air under pressure from the reservoirpipe into the said train pipe.

12. In an air brake system for coupled cars, the combination with areservoir pipe carried by one car, and coupled train pipes carried oneby each car, of a normally closed by pass connection between the reser-Voir pipe and the train pipe of the other car, and means arranged foractuation automatically through tendency toward abnormal separation ofthe cars to open said Valve and admit air under pressure from thereservoir pipe to the train pipe.

13. In an air brake system for coupled cars, the combination with areservoir pipe carried by one car, and coupled train pipes carried oneby each car, ot a normally closed by-pass connection between thereservoir pipe and the train pipe of the other car, means forautomatically opening said by-pass connection upon tendency towardabnormal separation of the cars to admit air under pressure from thereservoir pipe to the said train pipe, and means for automaticallyreclosing said connection.

14. In an air brake system tor coupled cars, the combination with areservoir pipe carried by one car, and coupled train pipes carried oneby each car, of a by-pass connection between the reservoir pipe and thetrain pipe of the other car, a Valve interposed in said connection,means for automatically opening said valve through tendency towardabnormal separation of the car to admit air under pressure from thereservoir pipe to the said Atrain pipe, and means for returning saidValve to closed position.

l5. In an air brake system for coupled cars, the combination with areservoir pipe carried by one car, and coupled pipes carried one by eachcar, of a normally closed by-pass connection between the reservoir pipeand the train pipe of the other car, means for automatically openingsaid bypass connection upon tendency toward abnormal separation of thecars to admit air under pressure from the reservoir pipe to the saidtrain pipe, and means interposed in the said by-pass connection at apoint adjacent the connection with the train pipe to automatically closethe said connection after the admission ot air to the train pipe.

16. In an air brake system for coupled cars, the combination with areservoir pipe carried by one car, and coupled train pipes carried oneby each car, of a normally closed by-pass connection between thereservoir pipe and the train pipe of the other car, means forautomatically opening the by-pass connection upon tendency towardabnormal separation of the cars to admit air under pressure from thereservoir pipe to the said train pipe, means for automatically reclosingsaid by-pass connection after the admission of air to the said trainpipe. and means interposed in the said connection adjacent theconnection of the same with the train pipe for preventing escape of theadmitted air.

17. In an air brake system for coupled cars, the combination with areservoir pipe, carried by one car, and coupled train pipes carried oneby each car, of a by-pass connection between the reservoir pipe and thetrain pipe of the other car, a Valve interposed in the said by passconnection, connection between the Valve and one of the cars for openingthe valve upon tendency 'toward abnormal separation of the cars to admitair under pressure from reservoir pipe 'to the said train pipe. meansconnected with the valve for automatically reclosing it after theadmission of air, and means interposed in the said by-pass connectionfor automatically reclosing the same and preventing the escape of theadmitted air.

18. In an air brake system for coupled cars, the combination with areservoir pipe carried by one car, and coupled train pipes carried oneby each car, of a by-pass connection between the reservoir pipe and thetrain pipe of the other car, said by-pass connection being arranged toadmit air under pressure from the reservoir pipe into the said trainpipe of therother car and being controlled for such admission bytendency toward abnormal separation of the cars.

19. In an air brake system for coupled cars, the combination with thetrain pipes of the cars and the angle cocks and connections, thereservoir pipe upon one car, and means for automatically closing Vtheangle cock upon separation of the cars, of means acting upon saidseparation of the cars to ad mit air under pressure from the reservoirpipe upon one car to the'train pipe of the other car.

20. In an air brake system,'in combination with a train pipe for coupledcars, and the angle cock and connections, and the reservoir pipe uponone car, of means for automatically7 closing the angle cock uponseparation of the cars, and means acting subsequently to admit air underpressure from the reservoir pipe upon one car to the train pipe of theother car.

21. In an air brake system, in combination with train pipes ot coupledcars, andV the angle cock and connections, and the reservoir pipe uponone car, of means for automatically closing the angle cock uponseparation of the car and a connection between the reservoir pipe uponone car and` the cars, and a by-pass Y cars, the combination with areservoir pipe f carried by one car, coupled train pipes carried by thecars, and angle cocks interposed in the train pipes, of a connectionbetween the angle cock arranged to close the said cocks upon separationof the cars, a by-pass connection between the reservoir pipe and thetrain pipe of the other car, a valve interposed in said connection,connection between the valve and one of the cars for opening said valveupon separation of the cars, the connection being constructed andarranged to actuateV the valve subsequent to the closing of the anglecockA and means for automatically returning the valve to closedposition. Y

24. In an air brake system for coupled cars, the combination with areservoir pipe carried by one car. and coupled train pipes carried oneby each car, and angle cock interposed in the train pipe, of a flexibleconnection between the angle cocks arranged to close the said cock uponseparation of the cars, a by-pass connection between the reservoir pipeand the train pipe of the other car, a valve interposed in saidconnection, said valvebeing normally closed, and a connection betweenthe valve and one of the cars for moving the same to open position uponseparation of the cars, the last mentioned connection bein arranged toactuate the last mentioned va ve subsequent toV the actuation of theangle cocks by the first mentioned connection.

In testimony whereof, I atIiX my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

. HERMAN W. LEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. HALE, HALL C. HANCOCK.

